Blog: 15th November 2019
    I got back to Malawi on 2nd Oct. The Jacaranda trees were in full purple flowering beauty at the airport and the taxi took me straight to Cape Maclear, where my partner lives, missing out on the hustle and bustle of Lilongwe, the capital city. Cape Maclear got its name from one of the early settlers and it is like being in paradise; a view of islands out onto Lake Malawi, it has the only sunset beach in Malawi and the fresh water Cichlids, tropical fish of many colours.

    Sadly on the 5th day here I received the sad news of my friend Oscar's death. He was only 39 and leaves behind a family of 5 children living high up on Malosa mountain. Because of the heat and lack of refrigeration the funeral is held the next day and so I left this litlle paradise for the mountains at Zomba and arrived just in time for his burial. My first Malawian funeral. I did not take any photographs but here is Oscar with his family when I first met him in 2017. I agreed when I met them in 2017 to take on the cost of educating his only son, Prince, who was struggling to learn anything at the local mountain primary school. Prince has now graduated with excellent results to a secondary boarding school. I escorted Prince to his new school a week after the funeral to pay the fees and meet the headmaster with whom I would now be communicating about Prince’s education. He is boarding because his family live up near the top of Malosa mountain where the schools are sadly understaffed if the teachers turn up at all.

    In my mountain home of Makwawa, two Permaculture courses had already happened for the schools and the Scouts in September. The final course (all funded by Makwawa Malawi Charity) was for the villagers, some returning for another years education on using organic methods of pest and disease control as well as natural fertilizer. It was good to see on Facebook that Bill Gates is now promoting the use of human manure for compost. There is certainly more than enough of that to go round!! I took part in some of the course and gave out certificates at the end. Lets hope some of these lucky people use their new found skills.

More land is being cleared but no new trees. Could be heading for an environmental disaster very soon wood is cut for cooking, furniture making, etc. Its difficult because trees are traditionally cut for firewood, building, furniture, coffins, etc. Its the replanting that's not happening as well as saving the trees still standing.
    I stay at Makwawa mostly on my own but there are actually lots of people around. Few speak English and I've failed to learn more than a few greetings in Chichewa, the national language. In fact most people speak Yeow in my locality. So it is confusing and can get very lonely. Luckily Samuel Baluti, the Permaculture teacher is like a kindred spirit and we share the same view of the world and my Malawian partner speaks excellent English.
    Then we had an unprecedented heat wave in south eastern Africa. Makwawa is situated on the slopes of Zomba mountain and I was giving thanks for that. At dawn, 5.30am it was already too hot. I have a friend who is a volunteer living in the low lands in southern Malawi and there the afternoon temperatures are hitting 45 degrees; impossible to get anything done. Nothing seemed possible except to pray for rain. The heatwave passed and we had a couple of good rains. I was able to visit Zomba Plateau where it is cool in the forest and ate a number of wild raspberries. The forest is protected thankfully by the Forestry Department and the local guides.

   The Makwawa Malawi Charity paid for an irrigation system last year. The irrigation pipes were installed to allow another growing season even throughout dry months. A field was split into plots that different villagers planted but only a few some succeeded in their task. Those that did will have extra maize during the hungry months' before April's harvest. The main problem was the water supply being unable to reach all the plots, as well as ants nests on some of the other plots. Maybe a 40% success rate. We have purchased cement to fix a problem with the inlet pipe due to crabs moving the soil and a hose and sprinkler system to help bring the crops to harvest as its now dry season and still very hot here, around 33-37 degrees.

Another huge issue here in Malawi is the rate of deforestation. Just a walk into town and I witness logs for timber and collections of firewood all the time. There is not much else they can do except use wood for most things. I am talking to the local Chiefs about how to introduce reforestation. I would like to stop all wood collections at Makwawa where the Scouts Association of Malawi own 45 acres, to create a forest garden as well as a firewood forest but I need the locals cooperation and funding. Another idea I had is to give each household a neem and a moringa sapling. Neem can be dried and made into a powder that combats malaria and moringa is a superfood that is easily added to the diet. Another idea from one of the chiefs is to create a group of those who farm along Makwawa river, to give them tree saplings and give them incentives to leave trees to grow.

And then at the end of the week I attended a village meeting with a representative of One Acre Fund who sell fertilizer and other products on credit to enable farmers who cannot afford fertilizer, etc to ensure a good harvest. Most Malawians are peasant farmers and their harvest is their food for the next year. Initially I was outraged at this way of doing things but was reminded that there is not enough manure for everyone to go organic. Most farmer do not have livestock. Sadly the ever present threat of cholera means the idea of human manure is beyond their comprehension. So I hope to build a compost loo at Makwawa so that they can see how it works and the compost that can be made from human waste.
    The Makwawa Malawi Charity sponsors five students from poor families through four years of education at Domasi Mission Secondary School, which neighbours Makwawa Scout Campsite and Guesthouse. Two new students started in September: they are Shalon Belubelu and Clement Abeki. Both are orphans and would otherwise not been able to attend secondary school which is not free in Malawi. It was a pleasure to meet them and catch up with the teachers and our other students; Loveness, Newton and Mary.

Sometimes it is strange to be here on my own trying to achieve sustainability among the people of my village. Earlier this year a permaculture volunteer came and helped create gardens at the Primary School and at Makwawa and was a pleasure to share this experience with her. I live as frugally as possible but with the luxury of running water, flush toilet and electricity here at Makwawa. I use public transport. Just coming here as a visitor greatly helps the economy of this 5th poorest country in the world. If you would like to know how you could volunteer then please contact me.

If you want to donate to my projects and living expenses go to my GoFundMe page called Radical Sustainability in Malawi or  click here

    This is a good description of how most Malawians live. So few possessions and often relying on handouts to survive. I got a lift with an aid worker in the poshest 4x4…!!!
Click here to read it

Thank for taking the time to read this, please contact us for any questions you have.

Jaine Raine
15th November 2019

Saturday 13th April:-
Today I went to find Manfred. Manfred is one of our students we sponsor at the local secondary school, along with three other young people. Before the Easter holidays, Manfred and his class mates sat their mock exams and are now at home for eleven days holiday over Easter. Then he returns to school with the rest of his form to cram in some extra days of study before school comes back together for the beginning of term. Today I want to talk with him about his future plans, hopes and dreams.

Makwawa Malawi Charity gives the opportunity to go to a local secondary boarding school, to two local boys and two local girls whose families would otherwise be unable to afford a secondary education. They are selected by their primary school teachers who believe they show potential. As well as their fees, we give them some spending money for clothes, soap and other essentials. We are excited that two new students, with our sponsorship, will be joining them at school this September.

I took a motorbike taxi from Makwawa up to the school and met with the Headteacher. When I arrived she was outside her home guarding her rice harvest while it dries, from the local poultry. Almost everyone keeps chickens and ducks and these were intent on having a taste of the fresh rice from the fields. When this rice is dry it will be taken to the maize mill in Songani 5km away, to remove the husks. The Headteacher, Madame Gunde also has only eleven days of holiday to help her family gather in their harvest. After saying hello and a little catch up, she kindly arranged for someone to escort me to the house where Manfred lives with his family in a nearby village

After crossing a number of streams on make shift bridges and being joined by a throng of happy, inquisative and playful children, we arrived at his home. Manfred was out so I left him a written note inviting him to come to Makwawa the next morning. I had brought a loaf of bread and some dried fish for them as I know that most of these families rely on food from their fields and they rarely taste these luxuries. I met with his aunt and his sister, also giving some money for sugar and soap. Some people are beginning to harvest their maize and there are pumpkins, guavas, satsumas, green beans and avocados in season. Goat, eggs or chicken are eaten occassionally. The typical diet of an African peasant farmer is very healthy, plant based and nutritious. They eat very little processed food, with the exception of sugar, if there is money for that. But the life is hard. Hard work in the fields, hard floor to sleep on with just a blanket on a woven mat which is usually shared with your siblings. They have very little money for clothes, medicines, etc. However, despite all the hard work put into their survival, family ties and community are strong and they live with a close connection to the earth.

On my journey home I passed the secondary school where there was music coming from the hall. It is a church school and they had had a Christian conference all day. Drawn in to see what was making all the noise, I saw about twenty people on the stage with a main singer on a microphone, a drummer and keyboard player. The gospel music was great, uplifting and vibrant. I just couldn't resist going in and joining with the dancing masses. Malawians love to sing and dance; gospel music and Afro Beats are hugely popular.

Passing the Domasi Mission Church, I saw it had been decorated for Palm Sunday, celebrating when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. I was told there is a procession from Songani up to the Church with palms and singing and drumming tomorrow, beginning the celebrations. The big drum that belongs to the Scouts will be played as part of the parade and I hope to join them for a while as they pass by the gate of Makwawa.

I am lucky to live in an area where there is little outside influence. Tourist areas in Malawi are very much geared towards the tourists' needs. I get to see a rural community going about their daily lives and enjoying life as much as they are able. There aren't many households with electric and those that do generally have a television but most people are relying on their radios for news and music, if they are even able to afford one of them. Life mostly happens outdoors, within the villages and their fields. Nearby in the town of Songani there is a market twice a week when people from the surrounding areas come to sell their produce and wares. Some have to walk for two hours down the mountain to get there, some cycle and some get the minibus.

We had another maize give away in Mponda village. The Chief was being most insistant with the families that there was nothing for them until they had paid what they owed for the cooks at the school. Hamilton Kamwendo is a good Chief, is very fair and thoughtful about how to run a village as well as being the local primary school headteacher. This was the last giveaway of 'the hungry months'  as the harvesting of maize has finally begun. Maize is harvested from the fields, taken to their homes and the corn is removed by hand and dried outside before being taken to the maize mill in Songani to be made into flour. The flour is then made into their staple food 'msima' which is eaten often three times a day with a relish of vegetables, meat or fish, or as porridge. It is a thick, stodgy food that is eaten all across Africa and loved for how filling it is.

One of the last remaining old Scouts, Fears Kunamano, who is in fact the very first Scout recruited at Makwawa by my father, 'Skipper' Belcher, in 1950, lives in the first house in the village across the road from Makwawa house, where I am living. I make sure to visit him daily when I am here as he had a stroke last November and is weak with no one to look after him. Last Saturday, the 6th April, thieves broke into his home and stole his phone, radios and money. His pension is only K25,000 a month, equivalent to about £27. He was devastated and felt cut off from the world. Sadly, this happened while I was away for a few days. One of the young Scouts, Innocent, was also robbed on the same day. Someone entered his house while he was working out the back and took all he had left of his wages: the equivalent of £7. I was so upset by this as these people already have so little. I had no expectations when I put a post on my personnel Facebook page about how devastated I was that this had happened to people who already are so poor. Within only a few hours my friends, obviously as shooked and upset by this as I was, had donated enough to replace all that had been lost. Both Fears and Innocent were very grateful. Donations exceeded the amount lost so with what is left over I will send money for a relative to come from Lilongwe, the capital city, to come and live with Fears and take care of him.

Sunday 14th April:-
The Palm Sunday procession was loud and rythmic, with everyone dancing and singing in the road. We even had prayers said at the gate to Makwawa. These are the moments that make life very special here in Malawi.

Manfred arrived on time and we had such a good talk. He is determined to work hard for his exams in June, as he really wants to go to the Polytechnic in Blantyre to study engineering. To help him with his English, I asked him to write a short sory about his life, that we then corrected and edited together. Here it is:-

Cyclone Idai hit southern Malawi after only one week had passed since the last cyclone. Idai also devasted vast areas of Mozambique and Zimbabwe, affecting thousands. So many have died, lost their loved ones, their belongings, their crops and been left homeless. Cyclone Idai has been declared By the UN “one of the worst weather-related disasters ever to hit the southern hemisphere”. Cholera and malaria are major dangers with so much standing water. There are collections locally for flood victims: food, kids clothes, kitchen utensils and buckets with lids are at the top items in demand. The current flood zone is estimated to cover 3,000 sq km (1,200 sq miles). If you want to make a donation I can buy these locally and have them sent to the worst areas.

Here in our village of Mponda, where, like most of rural Malawi, the houses are built using simple mud bricks, some homes have collapsed. A father lost his legs and two children in Songani, our nearest town. Many villagers fear that the harvest will be affected and therefore maize will be in short supply later this year. On the mountainside, we have not suffered from flooding, only the effects of too much rain. As my neighbour Ruth said "farming is a difficult business, too much rain is as bad as too little." I am still surviving without electricity but enjoying the abundance of avocados and pineapples.

The maize is not yet ripe until the end of April. Makwawa Malawi charity is again buying maize for the village. Feeding around 150 people for a month for £500 doesn't seem like much but it is a lifeline many in Malawi don't have. The legacy of Makwawa is bringing blessings to this small corner of poverty stricken Africa. 

What is very apparent is that climate changes, where weather systems like cyclones can be so ferocious, devastating thousands of peoples lives, are far more damaging to people who live in the third world than when they occur in more developed countries, where resources and aid are in larger supply, where the infrastructure of rescue exists. Here tarmac roads, vehicles and rescue services are rare. Thank God for the rescue services that are now being deployed. 

I am writing this on my phone as still, 3 weeks later, we have no electricity and my computer has no power. The effects of this disaster will impact lives for years to come.